WEll, there's a lot to not love about Florida....but there is also an awful lot to LOVE. Like my friends who have a boat and devoted two days to the open lobster season (12 lobsters per person allowed)...and then invited us for warm water lobster tails ( no claws on these babies...)..

Barb Freda wrote:WEll, there's a lot to not love about Florida....but there is also an awful lot to LOVE. Like my friends who have a boat and devoted two days to the open lobster season (12 lobsters per person allowed)...and then invited us for warm water lobster tails ( no claws on these babies...)..

Good food, good wine, good friends. what more could you ask?

Sounds mighty good to me, Barb! Do the tails taste the same as North Atlantic lobster tail? Same prep, just steam and dip in butter? And the most important question, what wine do you wash 'em down with?

David M. Bueker wrote:They may call it lobster in FL, but it's not lobster.

Disclaimer: I am a life-long New Englander.

Well there *are* two types of "lobster." We make no linguistic distinction in American English. The Atlantic lobster - the cold water lobster - is the one with the large delicious front claws. The spiny lobster is the warm water lobster, no front claws. Note we need two words to differentiate. The French do not. They recognize the langouste (warm water) and the homard (cold water.) And they have and cook both varieties in France, The homard on their side of the Atlantic tends to be a little smaller than ours over here.

There is a definite difference in taste and texture. We chefs tend to prefer the cold water lobster, but I will not turn down a langouste.

Well, since I'm really a yankee, I would still favor cold water lobster. I find it to be more tender than what we had yesterday...the meat did not pop out of the shell so easily...and was a bit tougher...

My hosts told me that it can go either way with these. They've had quite tough lobster tails...I'll confess to being a bit horrified when the host poached them for 3 min. before grilling...but he warned us all--when these are ready we HAVE to eat, bec. they can't cook a second too long...so he pretty much knew what he was doing. This was the first time he tried the three-min poach--someone told him it helped keep the meat tender...

So I can't compare, bec. it was the first time I'd had the spiny lob....but I sure can't complain either. It was just cool to eat what they caught...and next year I plan on going along for the hunt (I'm getting scuba certified...)

Robin, I am sorry to say we were drinking some pretty cheap shit. I didnt' bring it, but next time, I think I'd love a nice inexpensive prosecco with this (my new favorite summer wine)...